Apparatus for supporting glass cylinders



June 26, 1923.

Original Filed NOV. 25

INVENTOH IMJMMZ a) ififi a A TTORNEV.

Patented June 2%, i923.

THOMAS STENHOUSE, 0F VTASHINGTON,

titan PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNDR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, 0E SIXTEEN AND TING-THIRDS FEB CENT TO ALEX- ANDRE, L. DUVAL DADRIAN, OF WASHINGTON, PENNSYLVANIA, AND SIXTEEN AND TJVO-THIRDS PER CENT 'IO BERNI-IARD 1E. DEAKENFELD, JP, OE NEJV YORK,

APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING GLASS CYLINDERS.

Original application filed November 25,1919, Serial No. 340,630. Divided and this application filed March 25, 1921. Serial No. 455,583. Renewed April 7, 1923.

To all 107mm it may concern:

Be it known that I, TI-ioMAs Srnnrioosn, a citizen of the United States, residing in the town and county of WVashington, State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful improvements in Apparatus for Supporting Glass Cylinders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for supporting glass cylinders in position to be out or severed into a plurality of sections.

In the art of glass making, and particularly window glass, the moltenglass is drawn from the pot by means of a bait in the form of a cylinder. I-Ieretofore, this glass cylinder has been horizontally supported upon a series of spaced supporting units, each of which constitutes an independent support for one part of the cylinder. It frequently happens that the cylinder is not of uniform diameter throughout its length, or at different places may be laterally bent or curved. In such instances, only a few of the sup porting units in the series will bear the whole weight of the cylinder, while the others will not contact therewith. In cases where the cylinder is curved to such an extent as to place a portion of the cylinder under considerable strain when engaged on the supports, th cylinder will break, and fly into numerous pieces. Another objection to such cylinder supports, where no provision is made for lateral movement, resides in the fact that the cylinder may be so bent that, when it is lowered upon the arms of the supports, the end of one or more supporting arms may contact with 'the side of the cylinder. This invariably results in the fracture and destruction of the cylinder.

It is the primary purpose and object of my present invention to provide a novel method and apparatus for the support of glass cylinders whereby the objections above referred to may be wholly obviated. To this end, I utilize a non-compressible medium for exerting a sustaining influence upon the cylinder at spaced points, and distribute this sustaining influence throughout the length of the cylinder, so as to-compensate for inequalities in the surface, or Variations in the diameter, or curvature of different parts of the cylinder. The present improvement further contemplates the provision of a series of supporting units, each having a cylinder and a piston operating therein, together with means for establishing communication between said cylinders for the supply of a fluid medium thereto, and for cutting off such communication, anda transversely movable support for the glass cylinder, mounted upon each piston, whereby the vertical plane of application of the sustainin; pressure of the fluid medium to the glass cylinder is maintained in a central vertical plane throughout the length of the cylinder.

lVith the above and otherobjects in view, the. invention consists in the improved method and apparatus for supporting glass cylinders, as above characterized, and in the orm, construction, and relative arrangement of the several parts of the apparatus, as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and, subsequently incorporated in the sub omed claim.

In the drawings wherein I have illustrated an apparatus, whereby the purpose of the present invention may be attained in a satisfactory manner, and in which similar refer- .ence characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure l is a side elevation partly in section, showingthe improved support with a glass cylinder mounted in position thereon. Figure 2 is anend elevation. Figure 3 is a plan view of the support. Referring in detail 'to the drawings, ,5 designates a platform, which is mounted upon spaced trucks6, whereby the appara tus may be conveniently moved. I

A plurality of spaced cylinders 7 are secured: upon the platform 5. In eachof these cylinders a piston 8 reciprocates, and is fixed to the lower end of a piston rod 9, extending through the cylinder head 10. "The several cylinders 7 at their lower ends are connected to each other by the pipes 11, and a non-compressible fluid medium, such as water or oil, is supplied through the pipe 12 and the several pipes 11 to said cylinders. In each ofthe pipes 11, between the spaced cylinders, avalve 13 s ar anged, and is provided with an arm.

14. One of these valves also controls conr munication between the supply pipe 12 and one of the pipes 11. The valve arms 13 are pivotally connected to a common connecting rod 15, which, at one of its'ends, is pivotally connected to a lever 16, fulcrumed at its lower end, as shown at 17, upon a bracket fixedto the platform 5. A chamber 18 is also arranged upon the platform 5, and receives compressed air. This chamber is connected by the pipe 19 to one of the end cylinders 7 in the series. A valve 20 in said pipe is operatively connected by an arm 21 to the connecting rod 15, so that said valve will be actuated simultaneously with the valves 13. c

To the upper end of each piston rod 9, a transverse, cylindrical rod 22 is rigidly fixed intermediate of its ends. Upwardly extending yoke bars 23 are secured to the opposite ends of the rod 22, and said bars,

are connected at their upper ends by a rod 24. v

25 designates a transversely movable carriage, which straddles the'rod 24, and is centrally provided with a bearing 26, having sliding engagement on said rod. The carriage at its opposite ends is formed with depending arms 27, between which the peripherally grooved rollers 28 are journalled'.

These rollers travel freely upon the upper side of the rod 22.

coinciding relation with the axis of the pis- 1 ton 3.

The piston rods 9 are preferably square or rectangular in form, so as to prevent their rotation in'the cylinder heads, and thus obviate all possibility of turning movement of the supports mounted upon the respective pistons.

In operation, the several valves 13 are opened, so as to admit the non-compressible fluid medium through the pipes 11 to the several intercommunicating cylinders 7. This fluid medium acts to urge the pistons 8 upwardly in the respective cylinders to the same level, when no weight is imposed upon the supporting saddles 28. The fluid medium acts against the air cushion in the cylinder 18, and when the glasscylinder C is positioned upon the supporting saddles 28, this fluid medium instantly responds to any variation or inequality in the surface of the cylinder and pressure of the different portions, thereof. upon the respective sup- A saddle arm 28 is v arranged ,above the carriage 25, and cenporting saddles. Thus, each of the supporting units has a dependent relation to every other unit in the series, so that the weight of the cylinder is uniformly distributed between the several supporting units, and they thus each hear an equal share of the load, irrespective of variations in diameter, surface, or curvature in the cylinder length.

Di ferent portions of the cylinder may be transversely bentzor curved to different degrees, but as the saddle arms 28 may shift transversely with respect to the individual supports, they will automatically adjust themselves to such abnormalities in the cylinder. It is, therefore, impossible that the ends of the saddle arms may exert such a severe local pressure upon the glass cylnr der as to result in its fracture .1

After the glass cylinder has then been positioned upon the supporting units, and the weight thereof equally distributed between these units, the several valves 13 and the valve 20 are simultaneously closed. Communication between the cylinders is thus shut off, and the non-compressible fluid medium belowthe piston in each cylinder will serve to maintain the pistons and the supportsmounted thereon in the positions to which. they have been moved. In other words,the supports are practically locked in a stationary position. This fact obviates possible breakage of the cylinders when they are cut into sections of a desired length. Such supportsas heretofore employed for this purpose, are yieldingly sustained by means of springs. When the cylinder is arranged upon the supporting units, the springs compress until the resistance of the springis equal to the weightof the cylinder. Although the weight of the cylinder may in this manner be more or less equally distributed upon the independent supporting units, when the cylinder is cut into lengths, theshort severed section on one support will be forced upwardly by the reaction of the spring. This frequently happens before therehas been a complete severance, thereby resulting in fracture. This condition is aggravated when the greater part of the weight of the cylinder devolves upon one end support, owing to a bend or curve in the cylinder. In such case, the edges of the severed section will forcibly collide with the' opposed edges of the remaining length of the cylinder, and thereby start a fracture, which results in the destruction of the entire cylinder. It will be readily seen that I have successfully overcome these disadvantageous features of such supporting apparatus as heretofore provided, and that by the closure of the valves 13, the cylinder will remain quiescent both during and subsequent to its severance into sections. It will, of course, be understood that the weight of the cylinder sections is suflicient to counteract the tendency of the springs 29 to centralize the carriages 25 upon the respective supports, Which would result in a transverse movement of the partially severed section With relation to the cylinder. In other Words, these springs are only of suiiicient strength to move the carriage to its central position when there is no Weight thereon, and to cushion the transverse movements of the carriage on the support.

From the foregoing description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction, manner of op eration, and several advantages of my invention Will be clearly and fully understood. The apparatus, as herein described, Will be positive and reliable in its action, and may be manufactured at comparatively small cost. It is manifest, of course, that a greater or less number of the supporting units may be provided, as desired, and that these supporting units may be used with relatively stationary supporting saddles for the glass cylinder, instead of the transversely moi able saddles above referred to, and that the several valves 13 may also be eliminated and a single valve substituted therefor. Accord ingly, it is to be understood that the several terms and expressions herein employed, are used as terms of description, and not of limitation, and that it is not my intention by the use of such terms and expressions to exelude from the purview of my invention the various mechanical equivalents for the fea tures of the apparatus shown and described, since it is apparent that this apparatus might be exemplified in numerous other structural modifications. Therefore, I expressly reserve the right and privilege of resorting to all such legitimate changes as may be fairly embodied Within the spirit and scope of my invention, as claimed.

The above is a division of an application filed by me on November 25, 1919, Serial No. 340,630.

I claim: a

In a support for glass cylinders, a fluid sustained series of cylinder supports, and means to control the sustaining influence of the fluid, and thereby equally distribute the Weightof the cylinder between the supports, each support including a piston and piston rod, a carriage mounted upon the upper end of the piston rod for movement transversely relative to the normal axis of the cylinder, a saddle on said carriage to receive the cylinder, and means acting to cushion the transverse movement of the carriage, and to re turn the same to its normal central position, when the cylinder is removed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, and I have signed my name hereunder.

THOMAS STENHOUSE. 

